Cable-connector.



Jointn. FIRMIN, or NORWOOD, OHiO, AssiGNoR To ALLIs-OHALMERS cOMrANY, A .Conro-y UNITED strains PATENT OFFICE.-

RATION OF. NEW JERSEY, AND THE BULLOCK ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A

CORPORATION or OHIO.

CABLE-CONNECTOR.

' wood, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cable-Connectors, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to lconnectors or couplers for electric conductors or cables.

It has for one of its objects to provide a connector or coupler of few parts which caii be easily and cheaply made, and'which are duplicate or interchangeable.

A further object is to provide acoupler consistin of parts which can'be very quickly and eas' y connected ori disconnected `and which have ample surfaces of. contact so that the resistance of the connection is neg'- ligible.

My invention' consists in the' details of construction and in the combinationsand arrangements of parts described in the specilprincipally of t'wol.. members, a ,terminal ication and s et forth inthe appended claims. y

For a better understanding JOf'iy invention, referencelsli' "accompanying drawings in which Figure l is an elevation,parts being in section, of my improved coupling, one of the tightenlng sleeves being partly removed ;l Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same along the line 2-2 of Fig. l; Figs. and 4 are isometric views of two members forming one half'of fthe coupler; Fig. 5 is an eleva tion of a modification, parts beingin section' and broken away; Fig. 6 is atransverse scction of the same along the line`6-6 of Fig.

.5; Fig. 7 is an elevation of a further'nnodilication, parts being in section; and Fig. 8 is a transverse section of the,` same along the line 7-7 of Fig. 7.l Referring now to the figures of the drawing and'first to Fig. 1,1 have shownat 10 a cou ler or connector consisting oftwo separa le parts or halves, each ofwhich consists member 11 which is in this case Acylindrical or tubular,-and a sleeve, collar, or nut l2. The terminal member 11 and sleeve`12 of one-half of the coupler are exact. duplicates of the corresponding parts ofV the lother half,

so that the parts- 'are interchangeable. The terminal members are each provided at one end with a socketl 173 to receive the fend ofv a conductor orcable and at'the'other end is Specification of Letters Patent. Application Bled August 20, 1906. Serial No. 331,294.

Patented Nov. y24, 1908'.

notched or cut away forming a semi-cylindrical extension 14'. The semi-cylindrical portion of the terminal member is provided with a group of threads 15 and the cylindrical portion is provided with a second group of threads 16 ofthe same pitch, the

ends of the terminal members and the portions between the, groups of threads being unthreaded and smooth. In this instance the threads extend above the unthreaded por.

threaded portions on the tubular members.

rI he outer surfaces ofthe sleeves are knurled as shown at 18. y

Before the end cables are placed in the sockets of the tubular members, the sleeves are slipped onto the latter and the front ends .of the sleeves are screwed past the threaded portion 16 to the position shown thc connection between the two halves of the coupler `or connector, the two notched ends of the terminal members are placed to gether so as to form a rabbet joint, the threaded portions 16 of the two semi-cylindrical portions matching, so that the sleeves can be slid forward until the threads are reached, and then screwed forward over the at 'the right hand side of Fig. 1. To make notched lthreaded portions of both members until they engage opposite sides of both pins 17, when the parts ofthe coupler are held tightly together. y

v.The objects of this construction and the advantages will now be more fully explained. By providing short threaded portions on the tubular members, and'unthreaded portions between, the connection can be ,made by first sliding the sleeves toward 'each icc other" and then giving them a few turns .g` Since the sleeves are comparatively long the parts areheld more firmly together than if short sleeves were employed. In fact, the terminal members are held together as firmly as if the long sleeves were threaded,v

their entire lengths, but the parts can bel connected ordisconnected as quickly as if the tightening sleeves were only as long as Aone of the threaded portionsof the sleeve. The sleeves also serve to carry current from one terminal member to the other, especially in 'case ythe engagin faces of the" terminals 'should become roug ened or in vcasedirt or other foreign matter should become lodged sleeves being the ntermina between the contact. faces. The pins 17 serve a two-fold purpose. They serve' as an abutment for. tightening the sleeves' when the connection ismade and also prevent tl .1 removed and erhaps lost whf .Y K A members are isconnected. i

Inv Figs. 5'and 6I have shown a vslight4 modification of 'my invention'. The cog-.p er orconnector lOrhere shown is similar n the' main 'details to the-one first described. The

coupler consists of two '-counterpart. termi'A nal members 11v and` two-counterpart sleeves 12 The terminal members are notched or cut away forming semi-c lindrical portionsl 14 eachof which is provided with a pin 17? as in the Yfirst construction.` In thisy case, however, the terminal members arel each threaded continuously from a point near the end containing the socket 4tothe opposite end. In this mstance toconnect or d1scon'A nec't the terminals, the sleeves` must be screwed a. distance equal tosubstantially their lengths or the distance of the pin 17a from'the ends of the semi-cylindrical portions. In this case more time is required to connect or disconnect the parts than in thefirst construction. In Fi 7 and 8 I have shown a still Afurlther m iicatiomwhich resembles in some respect'sbothconstructionspreviouslydescribed. The coupler 10b consists of two counterpart terminal members 11 and two counterpart 'sleeves 12.c threaded as in Figs. 5 and 6. The terminal members here shown can be connected. or disconnected without screwing the sleeves the .distance from the pins to' the outer ends of thesemi-cylindrical portions, but, as in the construction shown in Figs: 1, 2, 3, and 4, the sleeves can be slid a portion of the distance. In this case the tubular terminal members are provided with longitudinal channels or slots 19 on opposite sides, about 'of the circumference of the tubu# lar terminal member being cut away on each vside.- The threaded inner sides of the sleeve are also cut away leaving two threaded strips 20 slightly'narrower than the slots 19 ,of theterminal members.

Thus it is seen that when the sleeves are turned so that the threaded ortions thereof are located in the slots 19 oi) the terminal members, the sleeves can be slid longitudinally toward or away from each other. In making the connection, after the terminal members areplaced together, the sleeves are slid toward each other until ver close to the pins, when each is 'ven'a ort-turn so that the threaded orxonsthereof engage the threaded portions ofthevterminal members and the .sleeves are forced tightly against the pins. Thus'with this construction even less time is required to connect or disconnect the parts than in the first construction.

I do not wish-to be confined to the exact details shownibut aim in my claims to cover all modifications which do not involve adeparture from the spirit and scope of my invention.-

. l What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A coupler comprising two screw-threaded terminal members, and a pair of tightening sleeves for drawing said members into intimatev contact. y

. 2. A coupler comprising twothreaded terminal members having notched ends, and a clamping sleeve on each member, the sleeve on each member bein adapted to engage the minal members, each having a clamping sleeve and an abutment or stop to limit outward movement of the sleeve.

7. A coupler comprising two counterpart terminal members, having threaded interlittingv extensions, sleevesA for clam ing said extensions together, and outward y'extending pins or other projections on said extenslons, sald pms servmg as abutments for the clamping sleeves ywhen the `connection 1s made, and as stops to prevent the removal of.

the sleeves when the connection is broken.-

8. A coupler comprising two terminal i members having intertting end extensions, and sleeves for clamping said members together, said members and sleeves havin threaded portions separated by unthreade portions, whereby said sleeves Vcan be slid along said terminal members.

9. A. coupler comprisin two counterpart terminal members adapte to be secured to conductors or cables, and a pair of sleeves fory clamping vsaid terminal members together, said members and -sleeves havingy threaded portions separated by'unthreade portions whereby said sleeves can be slid a limited distance'along the terminal members and then screwed a further distance ,to tightly clamp thel parts together.

I. 10. A coupler comprising two terminal distance along said terminall members before 1- members adapted to be secured to conductors the threaded ends of the sleeves engage the or'ables, a pair of sleeves for clamping said threaded portions of said terminal members.

'j .terminal members together, said sleeves be- In testimony whereof I aiiix mysignature, ,li-ingxthreaded at their` ends and haYing uninthe presence of. two Witnesses.

threaded portions between the ends, and-said JOHN D. FIRMIN.

1 terminal members having threaded portions corresponding to the threaded portions on 'Wltnesses 'i' "the sleeves and intermediate unthreaded por-4 RU'BY ROBINSON, ..10 tions, so'that the sleeves canbeslid a `certain FRED J. KINSEY. 

